Just our luck that the year our offense finally starts to put it together the defense starts to fall apart. I can only imagine how dangerous this team could be if Suggs was healthy.

And, as much it pains me to say this, JJ was still around. It was one thing to lose Suggs, but to lose Suggs in culmination with loosing JJ has just completely destroyed our ability to stop runs to the outside. I thought Upshaw would at least be decent playing contain, but he's looked incredibly lost out there. I hope it's just a rookie learning curve and not a sign of a wasted pick, but yeah, the losses we suffered this off-season seem far worse in hindsight.

You've been that unimpressed with him? I think Upshaw has had his ups and downs, but I saw him setting the edge pretty affectively last night, better than any of our other LB's for sure, and am generally encouraged. To me, it's the fact that Suggs is out and Kruger is ineffective that is putting more pressure and expectation on Upshaw than is probably fair.

I agree entirely. Just finished rewatching the entire game on NFLRewind and Upshaw plain and simple looks like our best LB not named Ray Lewis. The guy always seems to get great pressure off of stunt blitzes inside, he does a very solid job of setting the edge... but his best trait is opposite side pursuit. If Suggs played.. or even JJ, I think we'd really see this particular quality shine much more. Upshaw was simply phenomenal at getting to the ball traveling opposite to him while still playing with great technique (staying parallel to the LOS) and great patience (ex. that big time TFL against Edelman on the reverse). With an elite edge setter like Suggs/JJ, Upshaw's backend pursuit would really be allowed to standout and he'd have less field to travel to make plays.

If I'm "down" on any LBer... I'm down on Kruger. He simply does not possess the quality you look for when setting the edge. I think it was Chris Collinsworth who said something along the lines of "the elite edge setters don't just keep outside contain, but also 'squeeze' the blocker back inside" and that makes a big difference. Kruger simply gets pushed around too often, he'll keep the outside contain, but he'll still give huge lanes for the runner to get to and hit an outside crease later on. At his best he just holds his ground... but he's never squeezing a block back inside- he simply doesn't look to have that kind of girth.

I think it's obvious to me that in run situations, I'm inserting McClellan onto the field as our edge setter and then putting Kruger out there in pass rushing situations. I'd revert his role mostly back to what we saw from last season. Allow him to stay fresh and track down QBs. Obviously he'd get more time simply because he'd also give Upshaw about a 25% rest type of breather.

I'm a big fan of Upshaw's, I'd honestly like to know what plays you thought he struggled on to be so down on him to the point of thinking he might be a "wasted pick". Not saying he hasn't had some plays where he's struggled, but usually I can see that right before those plays he looks a little gassed... plus he's a rookie. But if I'm most disappointed with anything with him, it's his endurance. He's not a Suggs/JJ kind of player that can play 100% of the snaps, he's more like Ngata... he needs a breather probably at least once a drive. And tends to wear down a little at the end of games... though this game he looked better in that aspect, then the previous two IMO.

But yeah, just generally curious as to what specifically you've seen. Was it in all the games? This game in particular?

Eh, I suppose I was being a little to harsh with the potentially "wasted pick" comment. But it's not any particular play that has me down on him, rather it's the lack of plays on a consistent basis that has me slightly sour on Upshaw. His best play of the season was probably that huge TFL last Monday night. However, outside of that, I can't really remember anything he has done to truly stand out on the defense. He's been better than many expected in his ability to run from sideline-to-sideline, and he's even been fairly decent in coverage. However in stopping runners to his side, I haven't seen him really explode off the LOS and attack the runner. And that is what has me slightly concerned. Maybe I'm making too big of a deal of something minor and my expectations might be a bit too high, but that's just how I feel at the time. Obviously this can change, and I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. But yeah, let's see how the season goes._________________

jpeter15 wrote:

I think the Browns would be better off displaying "Play like a Raven" in their locker room. Play like a Brown sends mixed signals.

Just to emphasize how bad McKinnie was on that particular play. He had a problem ignoring pash-rushers lined up outside last season too. Oher hasn't been particularly great this season but at least he's not McKinnie.

As a side note for those who don't know russellstreetreport.com is what ravens24x7.com changed their name to after the team requested that they drop "Ravens" from the title.

This was almost as bad as Oher letting Polamalu come free of the edge 2 years ago lol just comically "WTF ARE YOU DOING?!" bad.

I think what he was thinking was that the backer that Leach had was going to come outside instead of shoot the gap and McKinnie was gonna take him and leach take Chung. Obviously that didn't happen._________________

Just to emphasize how bad McKinnie was on that particular play. He had a problem ignoring pash-rushers lined up outside last season too. Oher hasn't been particularly great this season but at least he's not McKinnie.

As a side note for those who don't know russellstreetreport.com is what ravens24x7.com changed their name to after the team requested that they drop "Ravens" from the title.

Actually this particular play isn't McKinnie's fault. I originally thought that as well when watching the game live, but upon further breakdown as well as knowing how a ZBS works (having both blocked for and run behind it in HS)... each man should be blocking the guy that is down from him- down block. In a MBS this would be McKinnie's fault, but not here.

Go back to the original draw up:
Step 1- Oher should be down blocking (what appears to be) Mayo on that play. He fires down and covers him up. Keep him from getting to the outside is his main priority. So it's not so much as a down step here, but more of an extended drive step (time has caused me to forget the actual name)

Step 2- McKinnie should now take an aggressive down block angle towards Chandler Jones so as to kick him all the way inside to seal the impending hole.

Step 3- And lastly, Vonta Leach should be walling off Patrick Chung on the outside. Successfully opening up a hole off-tackle for major running room.

The result of that play SHOULD have been a nice 10 yard gain- at the very least (and with the safety at the LOS and with how our WRs block- we could be talking about a potential home run play if Pierce makes the other safety miss). However Oher's incompetence on that play (as he was blocking his man and not his zone) screwed with how that play was SUPPOSED to operate and left a) McKinnie looking liking an idiot and not knowing what to do and b) left Leach to adjust his block to take out Mayo crashing the gap for a likely stop in the backfield.. so as to give Pierce a 1on1 shot vs. Chung to the outside.

So really this play shows two things a) Oher's incompetence and b) Leach's incredible ability to adjust. Had Ray Rice been in the game, strong chance he has the agility to make Chung miss enough to at least pick up that first down by a hair. But Pierce isn't yet experienced enough, nor that type of styled back for that to be his go-to move in that situation._________________

That would make a lot of sense if that was what was called for on that play. It did appear that Leach was initially heading to the outside on that play and only went to mayo after he noticed him coming through the gap. I still don't think the Ravens run a "true" zone-blocking scheme though. Regardless I agree that Pierce shouldn't take much (if any) blame on that play. I'm not sure even Rice could have made a move to get the yardage.

That would make a lot of sense if that was what was called for on that play. It did appear that Leach was initially heading to the outside on that play and only went to mayo after he noticed him coming through the gap. I still don't think the Ravens run a "true" zone-blocking scheme though. Regardless I agree that Pierce shouldn't take much (if any) blame on that play. I'm not sure even Rice could have made a move to get the yardage.

I understand that and that is why it's likely been difficult for Oher to truly pickup the blocking scheme- he's had to flip flop between left and right tackle while also having to pickup a hybrid blocking system.

But this was a classic zone stretch play to the left side, I can't guarantee that was the play, but I'm about 90% sure about it._________________